Entertainment
The 21st-Century’s Greatest Espionage Thriller Spin-off Series Just Became the Best Weekend Binge
In the pantheon of modern action shows, 24 is still a pioneer. Not only did it have a tough-as-nails, yet layered protagonist in Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), but it also had a unique hook with its “real-time” narrative. Each season of 24 takes place over a single day, with each episode corresponding to an hour in real time. It was a bold choice that made 24 the definition of must-see TV; back before streaming services, you had to actually tune into a show or hope you could DVR it. The shocking ending of Season 1 also proved that 24 wasn’t willing to pull punches, and set the stage for a fleet of action shows to follow in its footsteps, including Reacher. One of those shows was an actual spin-off of 24, appropriately titled 24: Legacy.
24: Legacy shifts the focus from Jack Bauer to Eric Carter (Corey Hawkins), an Army Ranger who leads a successful mission to seek out and eliminate terrorist leader Sheik Ibrahim Bin-Khalid. Eric soon learns that he and his squadmates are being targeted for death as one of them has a flash drive containing the location of Bin-Khalid’s sleeper cells in America. To stop the cells, Eric joins forces with the Counterterrorist Unit (CTU), the organization Bauer was formerly part of. With all 12 episodes being available to stream on Tubi, 24: Legacy boasts the rare distinction of being an action series you could literally binge in a day.
’24: Legacy’ Shakes Up The ’24’ Formula
While 24: Legacy does keep some core components from the original 24, namely the idea of real-time storytelling and a plot that has to be foiled in a day, it radically shook things up by not bringing back any of the original series’ core characters. Apart from Carlos Bernard returning as CTU operative-turned-mercenary Tony Almeida, Eric is working with a new team at the CTU and facing a completely new threat. In an age when most television revivals strive to bring back most of their original casts, this feels like heresy, but executive producer Evan Katz revealed that they wanted a story that could stand apart from the original series.
“We’re trying very hard to make sure these characters and this world grow in their own groove…In a lot of ways, we’re trying to go back, we’re trying to start at ground level with a character who is not bereft and has life and has love and has family, people he cares about.”
True to Katz’s words, Eric is a character who shares a few key things in common with Jack Bauer and more than a few differences. Like Jack, he’s a skilled military operative thrust into a situation beyond his control, and races against time to stop a terrorist plot. But while Jack is struggling in his marriage and has a strained relationship with his daughter, Eric has a strong bond with his wife, Nicole (Anna Diop), to the point where they work together to ward off a home invasion. Eric also reluctantly works with the CTU, while Jack served as one of the agency’s operatives for years. These differences help Eric feel like his own man, while still keeping the intensity that fueled the original 24.
It’s just about to be the longest day of your life.
’24: Legacy’ Faced an Uphill Battle During Its Run
Despite a star-studded cast that included Jimmy Smits and Miranda Otto, and a fresh spin on what is now a classic series, 24: Legacy only lasted a single season. Much of the criticism focused on how the series inherited many of the flaws that plagued the original 24, including pacing issues stemming from having 12 episodes instead of 24. Ironically, 24: Legacy also faced some stiff competition from Designated Survivor, another political thriller led by Kiefer Sutherland.
24 isn’t dead yet, as there are plans for a feature film in the works, and Kiefer Sutherland says he’s open to returning as Jack Bauer. While it might not have been the replacement fans wanted, 24: Legacy still lives up to the spirit of its flagship series by keeping its intense action and fast-paced narrative.
- Release Date
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2017 – 2017-00-00
- Network
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FOX
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